Before beginning his reign as the Lich King, Prince Arthas Menethil was first a servant, ruled by a sword he believed was the key to saving his people - the runeblade Frostmourne. Finding and claiming the blade among the frozen wastes of Northrend was an odyssey unto itself, and the search cost the prince his mentor, his relationship with his subjects, and his humanity. It cost the living of Azeroth far more.

With a tight grip on the blade that he traded his life for, Arthas ravaged the kingdom of Lordaeron and broke free from the control of the Burning Legion. By the time the former prince ascended as the leader of the Scourge, Frostmourne was already glutted with the souls of the numberless dead who dared to oppose him.

Now, Arthas has become so inseparable from his weapon that the sword's likeness has even found its way into the architecture of his fortress, Icecrown Citadel. Its hilt is never far from his hands; its ghostly whispers constantly ring in his ears. Frostmourne, as much as the Lich King, is the ruler of Northrend.

To challenge that rule, mighty heroes will need to follow more closely in Arthas's path than ever before.

In a relentless quest to arm the forces of the living against the Scourge, Darion Mograine has formed the Ashen Verdict, a union between the most skilled craftsmen of the Argent Crusade and the Ebon Blade. Though the peerless paladins of the Crusade wield the power of the Light, and their leader clutches Ashbringer, a few of Mograine's dark warriors have begun to question their hopes for victory.

These death knights insist that the Ashbringer and the skills of the Argent Crusaders, though potent, aren't enough to best Frostmourne alone. They swear that Darion Mograine has long been quietly aware of another legendary blade - one that could be the key to defeating the Lich King and cleansing Northrend... But it doesn't exist yet.For the moment, the weapon is a formless idea, with no more killing power than an angry thought. When it is spoken of, it is spoken of quietly, and the Highlord has a habit of silencing those who discuss it in public.

But the hope of an artifact to rival Frostmourne is strong within the minds of the Ebon Blade. Just its name inspires the furnaces to burn late into the night, the bellows to pump air, and the darker half of the Verdict's smiths to swing their hammers until their fingers fail. While other craftsmen crafters lean over whetstones and gather pitted blades by the hundreds, these few dream of a single weapon to end the war for Northrend.

Shadowmourne... A great two-handed axe fit for a giant, born of sacred and corrupt powers, host of a thousand dead souls and able to be wielded only by the most stalwart armsmasters of Azeroth. Its creation seems nearly impossible; and yet, the rumors do not cease.

Some smiths claim that Shadowmourne must be nothing more than an ordinary axe, honed to unparalleled perfection, while others would shape it from a weapon of immense import in the world. Mograine, when he can be convinced to speak of it at all, is said to believe that only the hammer of Arthas himself will provide a worthy model - but such absurd ambition is just the beginning of Shadowmourne's creation.

To contain the energies that dance across its cold edges, Shadowmourne must be hewn from piles of impure Saronite: the hardened blood of the Old God, Yogg-Saron, treated only by master metal-shapers.

To fuel its power to kill, it is vital that Shadowmourne be drenched in the souls of the most potent servants of the Scourge as they are slain, one by one, with the unfinished blade.

To help break through the Lich King's armor, Shadowmourne is to be adorned with fragments of the Frozen Throne, originally crafted by Kil'Jaeden out of ice from the Twisting Nether.

Only with these mighty components, it's said, can Shadowmourne be finished. And, yet, even if the axe could be completed, questions and fears remain. Is forging the souls of the deceased into a weapon treated with blood and the essence of the Twisting Nether truly any different from the crafting of the Scourge's runeblades?

Who is to say that the Lich King wouldn't simply annihilate - or control - the maker for their impudence in mimicking his most treasured possession? If Arthas, one of the most dedicated knights of his age, lost his humanity to the whispers of Frostmourne, might Shadowmourne bring the same doom and misery tothe living as its sister blade?Without knowing the answers to these questions, who would be bold enough to try and wield it?

Comments

Comment by EpicDragon

To help break through the Lich King's armor, Shadowmourne is to be adorned with fragments of the Frozen Throne, originally crafted by Kil'Jaeden out of ice from the Twisting Nether.

So we'll be breaking the frozen throne?

And breaking through LK's armor?... Do you think Shadowmourne will be requiered for his hardmode?

Comment by Orranis

on 2009-11-17T13:46:57-06:00

Wow. Just awesome. Have the stats been revealed yet? (I mean actual stats, not just outline.)

Comment by dk421

on 2009-11-17T13:55:41-06:00

The lore behind this is chalked full of goodness.

Comment by Norikevo

on 2009-11-17T14:56:27-06:00

Bad@ss lore to it! I so want this on my enh shaman even if we use 2 1hs but who says I can't use it for some crazy 2h wf pvp!

Comment by Teodor610

on 2009-11-17T15:03:35-06:00

"To fuel its power to kill, it is vital that Shadowmourne be drenched in the souls of the most potent servants of the Scourge as they are slain, one by one, with the unfinished blade."

I bet when it comes out, to be at maximum effectiveness you would have to go back and run all heroics and 25mans to get the souls.

That would be a pretty cool thing to do. As you go back and beat the heroic bosses, the weapon gets stronger.

Either way. wicked looking weapon. Cant wait to see the stats.

Comment by twinkinshammy

on 2009-11-17T15:09:08-06:00

"To fuel its power to kill, it is vital that Shadowmourne be drenched in the souls of the most potent servants of the Scourge as they are slain, one by one, with the unfinished blade."

I bet when it comes out, to be at maximum effectiveness you would have to go back and run all heroics and 25mans to get the souls.

That would be a pretty cool thing to do. As you go back and beat the heroic bosses, the weapon gets stronger.

Either way. wicked looking weapon. Cant wait to see the stats.

Actually in the Shadowmourne Quest chain you must kill 1000 undead in Icecrown (Most likley excluding the bombardment)

Comment by Monday

on 2009-11-17T15:18:21-06:00

"To fuel its power to kill, it is vital that Shadowmourne be drenched in the souls of the most potent servants of the Scourge as they are slain, one by one, with the unfinished blade."

I bet when it comes out, to be at maximum effectiveness you would have to go back and run all heroics and 25mans to get the souls.

That would be a pretty cool thing to do. As you go back and beat the heroic bosses, the weapon gets stronger.

Either way. wicked looking weapon. Cant wait to see the stats.

Actually in the Shadowmourne Quest chain you must kill 1000 undead in Icecrown (Most likley excluding the bombardment)

Say hello to the new reputation grinding (while it may not be reputation it will be as much work as grinding MgT and Sunwell Plateau for Shattered Sun offensive reputation

Comment by twinkinshammy

on 2009-11-17T15:23:19-06:00

"To fuel its power to kill, it is vital that Shadowmourne be drenched in the souls of the most potent servants of the Scourge as they are slain, one by one, with the unfinished blade."

I bet when it comes out, to be at maximum effectiveness you would have to go back and run all heroics and 25mans to get the souls.

That would be a pretty cool thing to do. As you go back and beat the heroic bosses, the weapon gets stronger.

Either way. wicked looking weapon. Cant wait to see the stats.

Actually in the Shadowmourne Quest chain you must kill 1000 undead in Icecrown (Most likley excluding the bombardment)

Say hello to the new reputation grinding (while it may not be reputation it will be as much work as grinding MgT and Sunwell Plateau for Shattered Sun offensive reputation

I correct myself only Monsters in Icecrown 5 man and the raid count for A Feast of Souls

Comment by buzz3070

on 2009-11-17T15:24:29-06:00

Can't wait to see the stats on this beauty!To help break through the Lich King's armor, Shadowmourne is to be adorned with fragments of the Frozen Throne, originally crafted by Kil'Jaeden out of ice from the Twisting Nether.

So we'll be breaking the frozen throne?

And breaking through LK's armor?... Do you think Shadowmourne will be requiered for his hardmode?

no when arthas finally approached the frozen throne to merge with ner zul he shattered the throne to release him. and those are the fragments that will be needed to form it

i dont think it will be required for hardmode but it will be pretty dam useful for it.

Comment by DoomDR

on 2009-11-17T15:35:44-06:00

1000... jebus. This'll take a while.

Comment by Monday

on 2009-11-17T17:18:43-06:00

"To fuel its power to kill, it is vital that Shadowmourne be drenched in the souls of the most potent servants of the Scourge as they are slain, one by one, with the unfinished blade."

I bet when it comes out, to be at maximum effectiveness you would have to go back and run all heroics and 25mans to get the souls.

That would be a pretty cool thing to do. As you go back and beat the heroic bosses, the weapon gets stronger.

Either way. wicked looking weapon. Cant wait to see the stats.

Actually in the Shadowmourne Quest chain you must kill 1000 undead in Icecrown (Most likley excluding the bombardment)

Say hello to the new reputation grinding (while it may not be reputation it will be as much work as grinding MgT and Sunwell Plateau for Shattered Sun offensive reputation

I correct myself only Monsters in Icecrown 5 man and the raid count for A Feast of Souls

yeah it says Icecrown Citadel, which I assume to mean the raid, as the five mans are part of the Frozen Halls i believe it is called.

Comment by ollan1

on 2009-11-17T23:35:10-06:00

I have always kind of liked Swords better then Axes when it comes to legendarys, Axes to me seems like a brute weapon meant to be sharp and heavy,

A legendary hero with an axe just isn't the same as a Legendary hero with a sword.

Comment by Zanny

on 2009-11-18T00:04:48-06:00

mmo-champ just got the stats for shadows edge (the wep you forge into shadowmourne)

Comment by Voltt

Comment by dabrixmgp

So glad they didnt make this Hunter usable. Would have been a total waste.

Comment by Jimmie52886

on 2009-11-20T11:02:03-06:00

I have always kind of liked Swords better then Axes when it comes to legendarys, Axes to me seems like a brute weapon meant to be sharp and heavy,

A legendary hero with an axe just isn't the same as a Legendary hero with a sword.

one word, Broxigar...

Comment by flamedemon1137

on 2009-12-08T07:29:47-06:00

the stats are on wowwiki http://www.wowwiki.com/Shadowmourne am not sure if there real but suppose they be pretty closeit also says it for warriors paladins and deathknights so my plan for the ultimate warrior get titans grip two of these and epic armour and you will be indestructable hwahahahaha...wait why am i telling everyone '~'

1

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